December 30, 2012

The Turners Take Over London: Fighting the Good Fight

There comes a point in every family vacation were exhaustion inevitably takes over. As it happens, gaining one calendar day and entering a time zone seven hours ahead of where you came from leads to a more abrupt and immediate surrender. For the Turners (and yes, that includes those two Turners who are being visited), fatigue has only added to the “family togetherness” of this vacation. 


Days of exhaustion can be detrimental to many a family; however, for some reason it seems to only aid in a Turner’s amusement (accompanied with much laughter). While each of us has found ourselves starring in the ‘grumpy spotlight’ at some point or another these past few days (and thus being relentlessly picked on by those in better moods), conversely, we’ve also taken turns leading the better-mood-pack and tormenting those less fortunate.

My point on this sunny Sunday in Northern London? We have four more precious, jam-packed days together to leave our mark on this foreign soil.

We will fight the good fight of weariness.

We will gladly put up with one another (no matter how small the flat may be) for these final few days.

And we will surely go out of 2012 with a bang!

Today’s series of photos begins with six people proudly wearing matching trousers in public on Christmas Day, who then participate in a post-Christmas-feast athletic competition, who experience Boxing Day for the first time, and who eventually spend four hours sneaking photographs in St. Paul’s Cathedral. They are then fortunate enough to bear witness to London's post-holiday-public-transportation-mess (and live to tell about it), find themselves lost in a bookstore in Oxford, come face to face with the crown jewels at The Tower of London, and then eventually join 82,000 Brits in cheering on man-beasts-in-tiny-shorts-who-chase-balls-in-the-freezing-rain (aka rugby).


Proudly wearing the Turner tartan trousers.

Parliament Hill.

Just havin' a scrum.

Trying mince pies (not to be confused with mincemeat pies).

Who knew freshly roasted chestnuts were soft and not very appetizing!?

Gift-giving complements of Brad Pitt, Chanel, and the daily newspaper.

Josh enjoying some post-Christmas-feast chinups.

Planking competition.

Yes, we ALL joined in.

First ride on a double-decker bus.

From atop St. Paul's Cathedral.

St. Paul's and the rain.

St. Paul's entrance.

St. Paul's.

Looking out from St. Paul's dome.

Looking up into St. Paul's dome.

Inside St. Paul's.... so beautiful!! Especially with the choir singing at sunset.

Outside St. Paul's.
A complete standstill at the train station (post-holidays).
I'm taking a wild guess and thinking that noone will be running today.


Oxford town!

Oxford.

Oxford.

Oxford sky.

Oxford.

Andrew excited in Oxford.

Again, Oxford sky.


The pub in Oxford where CS Lewis and JRR Tolkien would regularly meet.

Matt and Josh preparing for the rugby match.

The Tower of London (which is really a castle and a bunch of buildings).
The Queen's residence at The Tower of London.

Tower of London.

Tower Bridge at The Tower of London.

Making our way, along with thousands of others, to Twickenham Stadium.

Josh, Andrew, and I watching rugby.

Amy, Matt, and Bill watching rubgy.

Sold out! Even in the rain.

Harlequins vs London Irish.

A scrum!

Next up? Some down time, a few fireworks, a little of London’s West End, packing up, and several goodbye tears.
(m)

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